RICH STRUBE’S CUSTOM 2013 GMC SHOP TRUCK

When Rich Strube of Hicksville, New York, needs a truck for his shop (Richie’s Truck & Auto) you can bet it won’t be a beater. You might say that Rich is a bit of a fanatic for detail. While just about any 1-ton dually would work well as a shop truck, Strube wanted more than a run-of-the-mill vehicle: He wanted a truck that he could be proud of and wanted it to be a family truck too. He chose to go with a GMC Sierra HD Denali 3500 as the basis for his shop truck since it offered solid power and performance for shop duties as well as amenities and comfort for his family needs. This 2013 GMC Sierra HD Denali 3500 dually could have been left stock as it’s plenty stout to be a parts runner and tow rig for the shop. But that wouldn’t suit Strube as he wanted to build a truck that would represent his shop well and show off the shop’s skills as he drives around town.

The very first thing he did was jack it way up to the sky with a 9-inch Cognito lift. But that was after a lot of sanding, grinding and filling of the frame (and then painting and powdercoating.) While most diesel enthusiasts are happy to bolt on new suspension components the way they are, Strube isn’t wired that way, so not only did he improve the trucks chassis, he also refinished all of the new suspension components before they were even installed on the truck. Did we mention that he is a bit of a detail freak?

The front suspension uses Fox 2.0 remote reservoir shocks (with custom mounts) to control the bounces. SSBC calipers were sanded and then powdercoated candy blue and silver. The rear suspension uses Cognito 4-inch blocks to level the truck out. Fox shocks are also used on the back, as well as drilled and slotted SSBC rotors. An Eaton G80 Gov Loc locker keeps the traction even from left to right on the dual rear wheel axle. Attached to all that suspension is a set of six 19.5-inch Vision Wheels wrapped in Bridge-stone 265/70R19.5 M729 tires. This indutrial combo can go for thousands and thousands of miles before any wear is detected.

Strube is a fan of horsepower and torque, so he spent a considerable amount of time under the hood adding speed parts. The Duramax LML sits on Merchant Auto engine mounts to keep it solidly in place between the detailed frame rails, and practically everything is powdercoated or polished (the fuel lines and A/C lines for example). The Garret VGT turbo has a billet BatMoWheel by Danville Performance that puts out 40 or so psi. To keep the compressed intake charge cool, he installed a Mishimoto intercooler to replace the smaller factory unit. A Dirty Hooker Hi Flow intake manifold from All Seasons Diesel ensures there’s plenty of incoming air in the cylinders while the S&B cold air intake makes sure it’s all clean and cool. A FASS lift pump and filter system combines with a modified CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump to supply lots of fuel to the combustion chambers. PPE Hi Flow manifolds with LB7-style up pipes get the exhaust gases out of the engine. A four-inch single exhaust pipe flows into a dual pipe system with MagnaFlow 30-inch mufflers. Everything is 304 stainless steel, polished, of course.

To handle all the additional power, Strube turned to SunCoast Diesel for beefed up GMAX parts he installed at the shop. To link the engine to the transmission, he relies on a SunCoast 1056 convertor with a stall speed of 1,800 RPM. Output from the transmission is carried to the rear axle through the factory aluminum drive shaft that has been polished to a high luster finish to go with the rest of the amazing detail work found under the truck. An H&S Performance Mini Maxx located in an A-pillar pod brings out the most of all the parts.

Addressing the exterior of the Denali, Strube and his crew installed a host of Rigid Industries LED lights in the bumper to cut through the darkness. He replaced the GMC emblem in the Denali grille with a billet aluminum emblem to improve the looks and installed an aluminum anchor system to cap the bed and make it easier to tie down and control any parts they transport in the bed.

When work is done, the truck tows a flatbed 17,000-lb. trailer with a race truck on it to events all over the country. The truck has the full Denali stereo system with a 7-inch touchscreen head unit and monitors in the headrests to keep the kids occupied on family trips. The doors benefit from Infinity 6.5- inch 3-way speakers, and there are four Pioneer Piezo tweeters to fill out the sounds. A Viair 480c air compressor supplies a five gallon tank underneath the truck.

When it came time for paint, the choice of Anthracite was a classy one. It’s not a color you see everywhere, and it’s pretty rich looking. Sometimes, it’s just the attention to detail that makes you stand out. UDBG

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